The Brazilian National Team will make its historical debut against India in a friendly match scheduled for 11 am Brasília time. The game will take place at Salt Lake Stadium, located in Kolkata, just over two hours from Bangladesh. This country, along with the Indians, has one of the largest fan bases for the Brazilian team outside of Brazil.
During the 2026 World Cup, several videos of Indian and Bangladeshi fans went viral, showing their euphoria upon the entry of the team managed by Carlo Ancelotti onto the field.
This historical connection in the region began during the 1970 World Cup, when Brazil won the third consecutive world championship. Pratap Hazra, who played for the Bangladesh national team at that time, reported that since people did not have television then, they learned about it through newspapers.
At that time, Bangladesh was engaged in the struggle for its independence, seeking to separate from East Pakistan and feeling neglected by the central government based in Islamabad. Hazra stated that Pelé became an almost divine figure in football in Bangladesh, especially when he saw the black player lift the Jules Rimet trophy for a people aspiring to emancipation. After consolidating as fans of Brazilian football, the country achieved independence a year later.
The current president of Bangladesh decreed that Pelé's biography, written by Mário Filho, should be translated and incorporated as mandatory reading material in schools.
Rivalry and the rise of Argentina
Although cricket is the most popular sport in both Bangladesh and India, and local football leagues are not very prominent, foreign team flags dominate facades every four years. The country shows a main division between support for Brazil and Argentina.
Hazra commented that there is a name that explains this rivalry: Maradona. The influence of Argentina on the local scene emerged during the 1986 World Cup. That year, Diego Maradona's performance against England, notably marked by the goal known as 'The Hand of God,' created an immediate identification among the local population.
The Bengalis, who were part of the former British colony until the independence process led by Mahatma Gandhi, interpreted Argentine sporting success as a form of historical revenge against their former colonizers. Currently, the preference reflects a generational divide: Shinul Parviz, a journalist, observed that while his father and older brother are fans of Brazil, the younger ones support Argentina due to Messi. He added that they also support Neymar, despite his constant injuries.
In Dhaka, the Bengali capital, merchants reported that during this year's World Cup, Argentinian team shirts accounted for 60% of Cup uniform sales, while Brazilian ones accounted for 40%.
Brazil vs India: where and when to watch
The match is scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd, at 11 am (Brasília time), at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata, India. The broadcast will be shown on TV Globo, SporTV, and GeTV.